8 Things I Wish I Brought to College

This post is all about 8 things I wish I brought to college.

I’m a huge planner — I like to be overly prepared for EVERYTHING. I read every college packing list out there but there were still a few things I wish I brought to college my freshman year.

No matter how prepared you think you are, chances are you still may forget a few of these college items.

Here are the 8 things I wish I brought to college my freshman year.

8 Things I Wish I Brought to College:

1. Rain Coat & Boots

For some reason I feel like everyone forgets to bring rain gear to college. Honestly, not a lot of people use umbrellas in college because they’re kind of a pain to carry around with you in and out of campus buildings.

I recommend bringing a good rain coat and pair of rain boots for those stormy days.

The Columbia Arcadia II jacket is my all-time favorite raincoat. It’s super waterproof, lightweight, and affordable. I love that it comes in a ton of cute colors.

2. Brita Filter

I was so mad that I forgot to buy a Brita Filter for my dorm room freshman year. Luckily, one of my roommates had one and let me use it! It saved me so much money because I didn’t have to buy any wasteful plastic water bottles.

Don’t forget to pack a reusable water bottle to fill up and bring to class!

3. Shoe Organizer

I always just threw my shoes in a pile at the bottom of my closet when I lived in my dorm room. It honestly looked so bad and it would always take me forever to find the matching shoe when I was getting ready.

If you have the closet space, I definitely recommend getting a hanging shoe organizer. You’ll keep everything organized and you can see all of your shoes at once.

If you don’t want to take up precious closet space, I love these under-bed shoe storage cubes.

4. Bed Rest Pillow

Someone told me I wouldn’t need a bed rest pillow and I’m so mad that I listened to them. Whenever I wanted to study or watch Netflix in bed, I had to just lean up against the wall. So uncomfortable!

I really wish I had brought a comfy bed rest pillow for sitting on my bed or on the floor. So much more comfortable than just using a regular pillow!

5. Mini Steamer

This sounds weird but trust me, you’ll end up using this a lot! Clothes get so wrinkly in cramped dorm closets and there’s nowhere to store an ironing board.

I really recommend bringing a mini steamer with you to college. It’s definitely one of the things I wish I brought to college my freshman year. It takes up almost no space and gets rid of wrinkles really well.

Another solution for wrinkles is to use this wrinkle release spray from Downy. This stuff is straight up magic when it comes to getting wrinkles out. Just spray your clothes and stretch them out a bit and they look brand new!

6. Mattress Topper

Trust me, this is an absolute must-have and something I wish I brought to college. Most dorm room mattresses are thin, hard, and uncomfortable. A thick mattress topper will make your bed so comfy and luxurious.

Some mattress toppers I recommend:

This one is my absolute favorite dorm bed mattress topper. It’s insanely thick and honestly feels like you’re sleeping on a cloud. Seriously, read the reviews if you don’t believe me!
For a cheaper option, this mattress topper has good reviews and is under $30.

7. Halloween Costumes

I always ended up scrambling at the last minute to come up with cute halloween costume ideas in college. I can’t tell you how many times I went as a cat because I was unprepared and had nothing to wear.

One of the things I wish I brought to college was a couple of cute halloween costumes. You can also reuse them for theme parties if you’re in a sorority!

Looking for cute halloween costume ideas?

8. Bedside Table

I really wish I had one of these cute bedside tables my freshman year of college.

I actually ended up stealing a tray from the cafeteria and shoving it under my mattress. It was totally ugly and I would always have to take everything down when I changed my sheets.

I recommend getting an actual bedside shelf. They’re way cuter and a lot more functional.

Bonus item #9: Full Length Mirror / Jewelry Organizer

I absolutely HAD to include a bonus item when I found this because I am totally obsessed.

I seriously wish I had this 2-in-1 jewelry organizer and full length mirror when I lived in a dorm.

A full length mirror is a total must-have in a college dorm because you don’t want to have to go down the hall the the bathroom every time you’re getting ready. This mirror opens up and has TONS of storage space for jewelry, makeup, and other small accessories.

You can hang this over your door so it takes up practically no space!

This post was all about 8 things I wish I brought to college my freshman year.

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